I would love to see a fully automated library; I would then know what my goal is
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- Professional development objectives
- Professional development needs
- Immediate needs: ICT
- Immediate needs: general
- Long-range needs: information and communications technology
- Long-range needs: general
Opportunities to enhance serviceEach of the libraries had significant opportunities to enhance services to users and move programs forward. Library staff with vision, capabilities and strong service ethic In all the libraries, we found capable staff with vision for planning for the future and strong service ethics. It was remarkable what library staff have been able to accomplish with limited resources and support. Carnegie and other external support have provided much needed opportunities to move forward to implement new technologies and services and better serve users. Strength of Carnegie teams and impact of Carnegie grants The personnel working on Carnegie projects were very strong and among the best we met at the universities. Carnegie support had provided opportunities for those with vision and energy to help their universities advance. Libraries were moving ahead with automating library catalogs and starting to digitize materials. Local collections / digital libraries Two of the libraries possessed unique materials that could support African studies programs. Digitization projects directed at the promotion of even parts of these collections would improve the adoption of technology in some locations as well as further participation in the development of international resources for regional study. Funding of an “African Memory” project, similar to the “American Memory” project under development in the US, would greatly increase the visibility of these institutions internationally. Linkages All of the universities and their libraries indicated an intense interest in potential partnerships with the established institutions of their region. Subscription to online databases All the libraries with access to the Internet used one of two foundation-supported database subscription services: African Journals Online - www.ajol.info – supported by the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publication (INASP) Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL) – www.eifl.net – supported by the Open Society Institute – Soros Access to these services will be vital to building a well-trained workforce in the libraries. Without these subscriptions services, the libraries would have little or no access to online journal subscriptions and therefore little to offer to their users. The staff will have little incentive to develop their library skills in an electronic environment. Most of these subscriptions were offered at reduced rates for the first few years and many of the libraries were looking at much higher rates in the near future, rates most of them could not afford. It is critical to support this type of access as it was one very visible and viable electronic resource on each campus. Professional development objectivesThere can be no single approach to professional development in these seven institutions. Local conditions, infrastructure, resources and strengths of the staff vary from library to library. Instead, the recommendations highlight a variety of options that might be offered locally, regionally, or internationally. In the next three to five years, well-designed professional development programs can assist the Carnegie grantees in accomplishing two essential and attainable goals. Goal 1: The Libraries shall provide the users with efficient and reliable electronic access to needed resources. 1. To have an online union catalog at all Carnegie institutions, reflecting all holdings within the organization. 2. To create a standard strategy for the development and implementation of in-house databases. 3. To develop common strategies for managing bandwidth. 4. To create consortia relationships that promote the sharing of products listed in the first three goals. 5. To acquire needed electronic resources using cost-efficient and targeted strategies. 6. To offer excellent information literacy programs.
1. To advocate for and promote library services on campus and in the region. 2. To develop and offer excellent reference services. 3. To evaluate the quality of library services. 4. To provide attractive and functional library facilities. 5. To collect materials and resources reflecting a broad range of beliefs and research. 6. To maintain and preserve current collections. 7. To identify, procure, and manage the needed resources for library services. 8. To identify and provide relevant local resources to the international community.
At each university, administrators and library staff discussed and prioritized their training needs. There are issues common to all university libraries which can be addressed generally and, in some instances, cooperatively. The * indicates priorities for the staff. Immediate needs: ICTCore computer competencies* A Troubleshooting hardware and software* Librarians and staff who are on the front lines expressed the need for continuing training on how to troubleshoot hardware and software. Technology work requires training in basic troubleshooting skills and the training should be practical and applied and based on the hardware and software used by the staff. Library administrators need exposure to the kinds of issues staff must deal with on a daily basis. W Figure 4: Training of users at University of Jos in Nigeria eb design, management and content development* As the Web becomes more important in delivering library services, knowledge of Web design and management and content development will become more important as well. Limited access to the Web in some areas prevents staff from learning how best to use it. Most librarians and some of the library staff will need to learn basic Web design and management. Content development will be an increasingly important skill for librarians as the Web sites must become richer and content developed to serve the needs of users. Library administrators must understand the issues involved and be knowledgeable about the kind of content that might be developed. They also should work with campus administrators to ensure that the Web is available and that power supply and network problems do not limit access.
Developing content and managing locally developed databases are essential skills for librarians in the years ahead and many of the librarians expressed interest in learning more about these areas. Training should be practical and based on the content and databases developed and managed by librarians. Library administrators need to be aware of the issues involved in managing content and databases so they can be effective advocates with other campus officials for the library’s online information. Network management* Having well managed networks is essential to the delivery of content and library staff is interested in learning more in this area. Library staff responsible for networks must be well trained and have their skills continually updated as networks develop. Library administrators must be certain the library is adequately represented as networks are planned for and managed. Indexing and abstracting skills* As digital content is developed and collected, library staff need to become knowledgeable about best practices for indexing and abstracting. Library administrators and staff and campus administrators expressed interest in making more collections available. Careful training and planning for these kinds of projects will save time later and make key collections more accessible. Training must be in the broader context of access to information and how best to provide electronic access to resources. Library managers need a good overview of these issues so they can know what is involved and allocate or secure needed resources. Project management Every campus has major technology projects under way or planned, but many of the library staff do not have experience in managing large projects. This is one of the most important skills needed by library and technology staff in the current digital environment. Campus administrators must ensure that technology projects are well planned, implemented, completed and maintained. Retrospective conversion Making collections available online requires a major commitment of time and resources, but it is essential if online collections are to be meaningful and useful. Most of the libraries do not have a plan for or resources for retrospective conversion of their collections. Library staff needs the skills and resources to convert both current and retrospective collections. It is important that this be done correctly so changes and enhancements will not be needed at a later date. Integrated library system Most campuses do not have the resources to acquire a commercially available integrated library system (ILS) to support the management of materials. One library hopes to develop its own system and another has acquired a system. Campus administrators must recognize the costs, commitment and issues involved, and library administrators need to know how to organize their staffs to ensure a reliable ILS. Library staff working with technology, technical services and users all should be involved in selection, acquisition and implementation of an online system. Project management skills are very important in this process. The process of selection, acquisition, and implementation of a system can be very educational for library staff. Maintenance of the system will require knowledgeable staff with ongoing training from the vendor. Management and promotion of an intranet With bandwidth being very expensive, some campuses have used intranets to provide content, including library resources. Campus library administrators need to be knowledgeable about the benefits and costs of a strong intranet. Campus technology staff must be very knowledgeable about how to manage and promote an intranet. Library technology staff needs to know how to develop and manage and then promote an intranet for the library. All library staff must understand the benefits of an intranet and how to use and market the resources on the intranet. Immediate needs: generalLibrary leadership and management* Some of the library administrators would like to enhance their leadership and management skills and some have received no formal training. Some staff aspire to higher roles of leadership and management and were very interested in receiving this training to prepare them for future leadership. All modern librarians need to see themselves as leaders and managers, and all can benefit from training to enhance their skills. Training the trainers* Staff receiving training must take on the responsibility of sharing their skills and training other staff. So as staff receives training, there needs to be sessions on how to be trainers. It could be valuable for all staff to receive this training, since it may help them change how they look at their jobs and relationship to other staff. Library administrators should allocate adequate staff time for this training. Reference services/search and retrieval strategies* Online resources and services require new search and retrieval strategies. Staff utilizing these new resources know they need training on how to use the online resources most effectively in the reference environment. This training is needed by reference staff and should be ongoing; as resources are utilized, skills in search and retrieval will continue to grow. Library advocacy and promotion* Library administrators and staff realize that they need to become stronger advocates for the library on the campus and in the community and express desire for training to develop stronger skills in these areas. This is especially important in the current technology environment. Fund raising strategies* Funding from foundations like the Carnegie Corporation has helped librarians understand the value in fund raising and led to their desire for training in this area. Library administrators and other campus administrators are all interested in learning more about fund raising strategies. International standards Awareness of international technology standards is important for library and campus administrators. Training for these two groups together would be helpful. Long-range needs: information and communications technologyDevelopment, management, and access to digital information Digital information will continue to increase in importance for libraries and training in technological developments and opportunities will need to be ongoing. The concept of digital libraries is developing among western institutions and will doubtlessly emerge within African institutions of higher learning as well. Integrating technology into practice How to make the best use of technology in delivering library collections and services is an important issue for libraries that will require ongoing training as development as new tools become available. Library administrators must understand the broad issues and library staff must have the knowledge to implement new technologies. Selective dissemination of information management The selective dissemination of information to library users is a long-term goal of libraries; training for how best to accomplish this with technology and other tools will continue to be needed. Evaluation of online resources New online resources become available daily and evaluating these resources is essential to providing good library services. Library administrators must have an understanding of how such evaluation should be done and librarians need to know how to evaluate resources and what the best practices are in other libraries. Vendor negotiation With technology, working with vendors is an important role for library administrators, library staff and campus technology and other administrators. Given the high cost of technology success with these providers is essential. All these groups need guidance on how best to negotiate with vendors. Online cataloging Using available online tools for current acquisitions and retrospective conversion will help move technology projects along more rapidly. Online cataloging of unique collections will add to the world of knowledge. Distance education Expansion of distance education provides new challenges for libraries in delivering services to off site students. Library staff need to review best practices for delivery of library services to distance education students and develop plans on how best to serve these students using technology. Union catalogs Strategies to enable the sharing of resources has been a concern of library practitioners since the very first library association meeting in the late 1800s. Sharing resources through online union catalogs is one significant way to expand resources for users and reduce the costs of collection development. As online catalogs are developed working with other universities, users will have access to additional resources. Such catalogs will foster inter-library loan and make plain the value of working together. Library staff need to learn how to develop such union catalogs. Open source development Library and campus administrators need to be aware of developments with open source software and the opportunities it provides for libraries. Library staff who are knowledgeable about these developments can help libraries make good use of open source software. Long-range needs: generalCollection development and management As resources become available, collection development and management including weeding, cooperative collection development and other issues must be explored by library administrators and library staff. Knowledge of best practices by library staff will help in developing strategies. Assessment of services and collections Services and collections must be assessed in light of developing approaches and technologies, to ensure that the best collections and services are being provided to campus users. Development of library policies Well-thought-out and written library policies provide a strong basis for consistent library services. Library administrators need to work with library staff to assure these policies are developed and that campus administrators and library users are aware of the policies. Building of library consortiums Library consortiums offer expanded opportunities for serving users through sharing resources, negotiating jointly with vendors, and sharing expertise of staff and best practices of libraries. Library administrators should explore consortiums with other appropriate universities while making their campus administrators aware of the benefits. Facilities planning, management and security Many of the libraries have facility issues including security, upkeep and lack of space for collections and users. The efforts of library and campus administrators will be needed to address these issues to meet the needs of students and faculty. Information literacy Some libraries have information literacy programs and all of them understand the need to expand or develop information literacy programs for the digital setting. Library and campus administrators should advocate for the formal acceptance of such programs while library staff works with faculty and students to develop expanded programs. Outreach services Reaching out to underserved user groups is a need recognized on many campuses. Library administrators and staff need exposure to best practices in servicing these groups, which include the disabled, off-site students, and others. Preservation and disaster management None of the libraries has good plans for preservation and disaster management. Administrators and staff need training on how to develop and implement these plans. Human resources management Staff will need to develop new skills and service attitudes. Managing human resources in the library using technology is challenging and requires review of approaches and practices. Library and campus administrators need time to think and learn about how best to do this. Scholarly research and publishing Many of the librarians are required to or want to do scholarly research and publishing. While some institutions are publishing journals, others have identified a need for development in this area. Such training would be useful for librarians. Copyright and intellectual property Issues of copyright and intellectual property are important in the digital environment, and an understanding of them is critical for library directors and campus administrators. Library staff need to understand enough about the issues to respond to user queries and make appropriate decisions about library resources. Directory: mortenson mortenson -> 142 Undergraduate Library, mc-522 1402 W. Gregory Drive Urbana, Illinois 61801 usa telephone: (217) 333-3085 Fax: (217) 244-8778 Email Download 91.31 Kb. Share with your friends:
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t most libraries some staff lacked key computer competencies such as keyboarding, how to use the mouse, how to save files, how to search the Internet, how to use online databases, etc. A list of core competencies should be agreed upon and all staff trained to meet these competencies.